Abstract
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram was compared with clomipramine in a multicenter clinical study. From a total of 150 depressed patients (age 18–65 years), 114 patients with a Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS) total score≧18 at the end of a 1 week placebo period were started on treatment with either citalopram (40 mg/day) or clomipramine (150 mg/day) (fixed, single daily dose). Patients stratified according to diagnostic rating (Newcastle Inventory, endogenous/non-endogenous) were randomly allocated to treatment groups using double blind principles. In total, 102 patients completed more than 2 weeks, treatment and were included in the analyses of therapeutic effect. The two drug groups were comparable in terms of sex, age, and departmental distribution. Categorical measurements of therapeutic effect based on the HDS total score showed that in the endogenously depressed patients a significantly higher percentage of patients on clomipramine (n=37) than on citalopram (n=38) were classified as complete responders (HDS total≦7) after 3, 4 and 5 weeks of treatment. In the non-endogenously depressed patients (clomipramine: n=15, citalopram: n=12) rather similar numerical differences were observed (Pn=52) and about 30 in the citalopram group (n=50) (PParticipating centers: 1Department of Psychiatry, Odense University Hospital, Odense, 2Department of Psychiatry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 3Departments of Psychiatry, Frederiksborg General Hospital, Hillerød, 4Department A and C, Psychiatric University Hospital, Århus, 5Department of Psychiatry, Bornholm General Hospital, Rønne, 6Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Odense University, Odense Participating clinicians: J. Andersen2, P. Bech2,3, S. Benjaminsen1, M. Bjerre1, S. Bøjholm5, P. Christensen1, A. Gjerris2, L. Hansted4, E. Jensen3, P. Kragh-Sørensen1, C.B. Kristensen1,3, P. Kyneb4, D. Loldrup3, O.F. Madsen4, O.L. Pedersen1, O.J. Rafaelsen2, S. Rasmussen3, N. Reisby4, F. Sevaj3, P. Simonsen4, H.Y. Thomsen1, P. Vestergaard4 Coordination and drug assay: L.F. Gram6 Statistical consultants: O. Aaskoven, P. Allerup Data-collection and -processing: C. Sánchez Steering Committee: P. Bech, L.F. Gram (chairman), P. Kragh-Sørensen, O.J. Rafaelsen, N. Reisby, P. Vestergaard

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: